


Twisted Metal

by quentintarrantino



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Car Accidents, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, M/M, Street Racing, alternate universe - street racing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 04:20:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quentintarrantino/pseuds/quentintarrantino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enter the Drift, a track composed of seventeen streets and one freeway located in the illustrious Santa Monica where street racers roam free and a garage run by Stacker Pentecost flourishes until the arrival of a a Japanese gang that drive fiercely fast imported vehicles called Kaiju threaten to obliterate his teams and seize their territory. Raleigh and his brother Yancy head the gang in Gipsy Danger, implementing an adapted version of the Kaiju's dual driver system until disaster strikes and when Raleigh returns to the streets he finds that the Kaiju are overtaking and action must be taken quickly to secure the future of his friends and the underground of Los Angeles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> STREET RACING AU OH MY GOD. It took some working out to make sure everything fit perfectly but basically the Jaegers and the Kaiju are the cars and it's beautiful, I'll continue to update on here and be sure to comment with praise/criticism/questions about the AU and I'd love to help out because I have never seen this done before and I really want to explore this universe to it's fullest.

The sounds of the engines are the only thing that seem to reach Raleigh through the adrenaline haze, the slow motion that is Stacker smacking him on the helmet as he dips into the passenger seat, Yancy is whooping something obscene at the groups of ladies cheering them on and the tinted windows of the rivals don’t roll down to jeer like his brother does to them, half of his body hanging out the window with a silly grin on his face because this is what they live for.

Tendo’s in their ear, he hears the static cackling while they check off, he’s telling them to keep it reigned in until they hit the first curve, drop the clutch and shift down accordingly. They’ve done this a million times but every race is like he’s a rookie again, his heart in his throat and he nods stiffly as a pretty woman stands between the cars with a bandana at ready. Before them is the Drift.

A track composed of seventeen streets and one freeway along the coast of Santa Monica, the sharpest curves and turns in the country and they own it, the Drift is their territory and they’ve held it since before Yancy even had a driver’s license. When Gipsy was just an axis with no wheels.

She rumbles under him now, ready to go and anxious, diesel engine purring like an agitated lion and the bright blue streaks on the imported model beside them looks menacing but they have faith. Gipsy Danger’s gone toe to toe with worse and made it out alright, Yancy’s fingers are twitching against the wheel and Pentecost is also talking into their helmets, telling them not to get cocky, to just listen to what they’re told to do and run with it. Don’t hurt the other vehicle; just race to win and then the garage can come home with not one but two cars tonight.

“You ready little brother?” Yancy says, the yellow neon reflecting brilliantly and flooding the interior with liquid sunlight.

“Born ready.” Raleigh replies as the bandana drops and his body presses back into the seat as they take off and the last thing he sees is Tendo and Stacker’s grim faces when they realize that every order they gave is going to be ignored.

The Drift is tricky, there’s a reason it’s regarded as one of the toughest circuits on the map, if it’s not the curves that get you it’ll be the traffic. Pushing out onto the main street with their tires squealing Yancy buckles down, jaw clenching as he watches their opponents scoot on ahead. Their car was ugly, some nasty hood ornament protruding like a great eyesore, the name on the side in cartoonish Japanese characters said something like Knifehead, or at least Tendo said it did. Yancy had complained and said that they would be doing the city a favor if they wrecked it but their directions were very clear, it made no sense to total it during a Pink Slip race.

Gipsy and Knifehead are one of only a few cars made this way, a two-driver system. Raleigh’s own steering wheel sits in front of him, powered down and the lights on the dashboard off to signal that it’s not turned on. The circuits run by their teams began to kill their cars, the engines would burn out and it got too expensive exchanging them every single race so the garage had pioneered something that was unheard of, two engines in one car, stationed in the front and the back. After mid-point the first driver’s engine begins to strain, at which point the transition begins.

“Here comes the curve.” Raleigh murmured, his breathing echoing in the confines of his helmet and Yancy made an impatient noise in the back of his throat as a horn blared somewhere behind them and the onramp to the freeway approached rapidly.

Tendo speaks. “Three, two-,”

“I _know_!” his older brother snapped right as the countdown reaches one and then the gearbox gurgles as he hits the clutch and the entire car shudders like it’s been released of its restraints. The engine picks up a new level of volume like it’s announcing its freedom to the world and the curve of the onramp vanishes to open up to the highway and they’re on their way.

Raleigh side-eyed Yancy who is too busy trying to get his feel of the traffic to pay him any attention and Knifehead is up a few hundred feet but they’re losing the gap quickly, if they timed it poorly they’ll have to switch out drivers early and their engines won’t make it through the race, the Becket brothers are banking on it. “T-minus fifteen till transfer.” Tendo’s indifferent statistics relay tells them and Yancy’s arms flex against his shirt while they take a moment to catch their breath. The freeway’s the easy part; it’s getting off and stretching down into the canyon that’s going to be the bitch.

“What’s it look like from out there Choi?” Yancy asked, scraping by a bus by the skin of their teeth, Gipsy snarling in protest while they press on and Knifehead is three lanes away, weaving between cars in a vain effort to get ahead.

“You’re holding steady, I don’t get any distress readings off our girl, she’ll hold on.” The amused reply confirms and now that they’re in the long stretch is when his brother eases up, shifting as needed and keeping his focus on the road while Raleigh makes sure to stay tuned into the car, hearing her signals even if transition won’t be for a while.

The theory was simple but executing it had been hard, they had been losing drivers due to accidents, their cars exploding or burning out and Stacker had been against a wall, the garage struggling to make it through with their racers and their cars dropping like flies. The Drift was too powerful and to admit defeat would be to lose the only stake in Santa Monica they had which wasn’t an option, the rival gangs from Palo Alto and the heart of LA were closing in, their Japanese imports nicknamed ‘Kaiju’ were destroying them and with nothing left to try the two engine systems had been adapted to fit the American made muscle cars on a whim and they had begun testing.

No one expected it to work, no driver would get into it and in the end Stacker and his business partner Hercules Hansen had been the first to dual operate, they had taken to the Drift and the transition had gone over rough, but the car finished the lap in one piece. Revisions to the design were made and to beat the Kaiju back they coined their own vehicles, Jaegers, and began to race the circuits with them. _“You gotta fight monsters with monsters.”_ Pentecost had told his crews.

“You guys are coming up on your exit, make sure to get everything in line I think Gipsy might tap out a little early with engine one.” Tendo informed, clicking on the other end like he’s typing something out furiously and Stacker’s voice is in the background shouting at what he assumes are the technicians.

Raleigh’s adrenaline begins to surge again. “Is that going to cause a problem?” Yancy asks, shifting up and Gipsy whines, the beginning of her exhaustion showing through the cold exterior of the car.

“It shouldn’t you guys will just have to make sure you crank all you can out of this one to get ahead because transition won’t be as smooth as usual, ditch them on the bend down by Venice Beach before doubling back.” Choi says. “It’s gonna be all good, everything else is great, readings are in the green.”

“Roger that.” His brother says in a slightly sarcastic tone, inching closer to Knifehead as they both compete for the position of first to exit the ramp back down to the street where the last few stretches of road will lead them to the finish line. Raleigh can feel Gipsy beginning to lose some of her momentum, Yancy stretched her too far and she stutters as he coaxes more speed.

“Easy,” Raleigh says, barely a ghost of a word but Yancy hears him. He can sense the dirty look he gets and if his brother wasn’t driving he’d probably get an extra hard thump on the helmet for his lip.

“Yee of little faith.” The oldest of the two mutters, looking behind his shoulder and checking his rearview mirror to see the blue specks three cars down that is Knifehead, casting a wry smile to his brother before he grits his teeth. “Hold on.” And with a final screech of the wheels the car begins to slide sideways.

Raleigh hates it when he does that, it feels like they’re going to tip over and it serves no purpose other than to show off but here they are, skidding on down the off ramp and by the time they straighten out they’re on the main road once more and Yancy’s hollering about how beautiful that was and Knifehead is still trying to catch up. “Engine’s slowing down.” The younger brother tells him, hands trailing up to grip his own wheel.

Tendo buzzes in. “It’s time my friends, you ready?”

“Raleigh won’t stop passing judgment, let him drive so I can criticize his lack of showmanship.” Yancy fires back and there’s nothing but a chortle from Tendo which makes Raleigh set his mouth low and punch his brother in the shoulder while the dashboard on his side comes to life slowly but surely, buttons and meters blinking awake.

The transition is always hard, but it gets easier with practice and trust. When you shift drivers, the car has to shut down for a moment if only briefly, neither engines are running and you’re both floating in limbo where anything can happen. To be in a position like that, so exposed and vulnerable, is not only dangerous but is where most races can turn ugly. There’s strategy involved and it’s the mark of a great driver to be able to pace out the car so transition happens at the best possible time so you and your driver make it to the finish line. Tendo is talking into their helmets, informing them that Yancy’s engine is in the shut down process, the more lights and gauges appear on Raleigh’s side the less are seen on his brother’s as eventually it goes completely dead and the only thing keeping them moving is the momentum they had built up coming off the highway.

“Readings going steady, bring us home little Becket.” Tendo says and there’s a roar behind them that makes their seats vibrate it’s so loud and the second engine comes to life, ferocious and fresh, Gipsy’s speed builds again with her wheels spinning and Yancy leans back a bit in his seat with his hands off the steering wheel while Raleigh shifts up in an effort to maintain their current velocity.

They still have to make it to the canyon but Knifehead isn’t anywhere to be seen which means that they might come out of the race relatively unscathed and the early transition won’t be a problem, taking one hand off to fist bump his brother he settles down and Gipsy Danger hums it’s pleasure while the first engine begins to die down.

“Good job kids, transition com-,” their technician’s words are cut off as the car lurches into the concrete median on Yancy’s side, Raleigh’s hands slipping and the yelp of surprise that slips out of his mouth is between shocked gasps. Knifehead’s jagged blue lights are on their left, the ugly hood ornament mocking them as Raleigh vainly attempts to keep control of the vehicle.

“HEY!” Yancy screams, his body pitted against his brother as they are rammed again and the door begins to crumple against the divider. “HEY WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” they probably cannot hear him, but Raleigh can and he doesn’t like that his brother sounds so afraid.

“What the hell was that?!” Tendo’s voice phases back into their helmets over the engines and the sound of glass breaking on Yancy’s door, wind surging in through the hole. “What’s going on guys I’m getting damage reports in from Gipsy.”

“These fuckers are hitting us!” Yancy’s still shouting but it doesn’t sound as loud over the thump of air through the broken window. His voice is getting sucked out with the sounds of the city.

Stacker is shouting even louder than Yancy, Raleigh is struggling to hold focus as he lets his gaze wander for a moment to see the ugly Kaiju blue, it burns his retinas as he shifts again, the engine whining louder as he tries to speed up to get away. After a moment of hesitation the car inches forward and Yancy is still yelling, his head sticking out the broken window, cursing them and screeching about what a bunch of assholes they are. Raleigh drags him back in by the hem of his shirt and he checks his mirrors, heart hammering in his chest. Tendo is talking about breaches of contract and how the coordinator is refusing to acknowledge it as foul play but before he can really tune into the implications of what just happened Knifehead hits their back wheel and no matter how hard he tries to correct they begin to spin out. At one hundred and forty miles an hour the asphalt hits hard and it hits fast, Raleigh has time to open his mouth to attempt to gasp and then the concrete divider crunches into Gispy’s hood and he feels glass break over his body as inertia drags him from the car into the road.

\--

Raleigh’s eyes open and through a blurry haze the first thing he sees is Gipsy. She’s forty feet away from him, her entire front half smashed to smithereens on the side of the asphalt, the front engine peeking out between cracks in the carbon hood. He wants to move but his arm hurts so badly, sitting up gets him nowhere and the plastic in his helmet is cracked, there are voices from the microphone but he can’t hear them, there’s a dull throbbing in his head and it’s like he’s a mile below the ocean rather than on a street on Santa Monica. They made it to the final stretch, the Pacific is within his line of vision as he attempts to get his chest to expand to take in air, and a small part of his brain wonders at how Venice Beach looks in August.

Yancy.

Where is Yancy? He can’t see him, no matter which way he turns his head, cheek pressed against the road, his brother isn’t around. Tendo is still trying to get through to him and with a gulp he croaks back. “Where’s… where’s my brother?”

“Raleigh don’t move! Don’t move okay we’re on our way, it was a bad race! No good, those sons of bitches set us up and the race coordinators were being paid off, do you see them? Can you see Knifehead?”

Raleigh couldn’t see much of anything, there was so many black spots dancing around his vision and he was frowning, attempting to flush them out to no avail. “No, I don’t see them, they didn’t stop they just let us crash and kept moving.” He groaned into the ground, something hot and sticky trickled down his shoulder and he guessed it was blood, a substantial piece of his skin was missing and he could feel the raw sting on his left cheek. “I need to get Yancy, someone… probably called the cops.”

“Raleigh I’m telling you don’t move, we’re gonna get you help but you need to not move-shit wait Boss there he is, pull over _pull over!_ ” the transmission cut out as the sound of a car screeching to a halt interrupted him and pounding footsteps made his head hurt more.

Stacker Pentecost came into view, fuzzy and not looking like himself but at least he could identify him, writhing on the ground he twisted his body to meet his eyes, feeling his helmet being yanked off and thrown away from them, more blood was rolling down the side of his face. “Fuck,” Pentecost swore in his deep voice, his hands trembling with rage, the kind that Raleigh couldn’t remember ever seeing on him before.

“Yancy,” Raleigh prompted feebly, he needed to make sure his brother was okay. “Where’s Yancy?” his mouth had never been so dry.

Stacker wasn’t listening to him, instead he was trying to prop him up so he could get a decent hold on him to drag him to the car that they had arrived in, Raleigh’s head flopped forward on its own accord and he yelped in pain, his arm twisted in an unnatural position. From this new perspective he could see Gipsy more clearly, she was destroyed almost completely, Tendo was pulling her door frantically trying to get to the one man remaining inside. Yancy’s neck was bent in a strange direction that didn’t look good.

“Choi!” Pentecost barked, his grip slipping on Raleigh a fraction of an inch before he hitched him back up on his arm. “Get him and go! There’s a crew to come get her later!” by ‘her’ the younger Becket assumed he met Gipsy.

Tendo pulled his brother out of the wreckage and his body dropped heavily onto the street, people on the sides of the road were stopping, calling on their phones for help, videos were being recorded and this was exactly what they didn’t need. If they were caught everything would fall apart and they’d find themselves in prison, Tendo was frantically trying to tug Yancy to the car but he wasn’t budging. Raleigh didn’t want to think about what that meant. Sirens were sounding off in the distance and both of the able bodied men looked up abruptly, Raleigh’s own anxiety spiked and he licked his split lip and his head lolled back, looking to Stacker with bruised and bloodied eyes. “Leave me,” he ground out.

“Don’t be stupid Becket.” Pentecost interjected, lugging him as quickly as he could to the car.

“I’m not joking!” he snarled, resisting feebly. “I’m not going if Yancy isn’t coming.”

“They’ll arrest you, then they’ll come after me.” came the sharp retort, the door opening and attempting to lay him down in the backseat.

“I won’t say anything!” Raleigh pleaded, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I’m telling you, _leave me_. Leave me by my brother.”

“Boss!” Tendo’s words made them both look up to see the steady procession of ambulance’s and cops barreling down the boulevard and he and Stacker both knew he couldn’t save them both and make it out in time.

Pentecost’s face grew stony and he shifted his eyes to Tendo and then to Raleigh who nodded meekly. “Leave me with Yancy.” He repeated.

The sound of police sirens lulled him as Stacker lay him back down beside his brother and he realized that he wasn’t breathing, not even when he dragged himself to his chest and listened for a heartbeat. The steady groan of metal and the dull thud of his own pulse is what was there in place.

“I’m sorry Raleigh.” Tendo said mournfully, looking torn but there was no time, their getaway window was closing and the younger of the Becket brothers watched him run from his line of vision. “I’m so sorry.” He repeated, voice chanting it over and over as the doors to the car shut and Raleigh was left with his car and his dead brother while the EMTs and the police circled in.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Raleigh James Becket you stand before Lancaster Parole Board, appealing for early release on counts of good behavior and claims of employment.” The judge looking up at him, her lips pressed together when she finished speaking like she was tired and had no desire to review his case at all, letting the file drop from her hands and onto her podium as Raleigh did his best to straighten up and look her square in the eye. “Charged with manslaughter, street racing, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving a non-street licensed vehicle, public endangerment, and last but not least, a misdemeanor charge of vandalism. With a rap sheet like this what makes you think you could file for parole and actually be a seriously considered candidate?”

Raleigh swallowed the lump in his throat while he attempted to use his wrists which were cuffed in front of him, fumbling through the small stack of letters, commendations, and endorsements. “Ma’am, after sacrificing five years of my life to rehabilitate and learn the error of my ways I have multiple sources on file from prison personnel and a passed analysis from a state councilor saying that I am fit to be released and have agreed to all conditions should I be granted parole as well as guaranteed employment upon release.” The words sounded plastic in his mouth, he had practiced them over and over again until he could say them in his sleep and the judge did not look the least bit impressed, she probably heard promises like that every single day.

There were eyes boring a hole in the back of his head and he resisted the urge to turn around, Tendo was in attendance, he had promised over the phone he would be there and he had pulled through. His old tech supervisor had been constantly in touch on a monthly basis for the five long years of incarceration, keeping him up to date on his personal life and telling him idle chit chat that went on back at the garage. Stacker did not visit or call but Tendo had assured him it was for reasons that did not have to do with him, they had all taken Yancy’s death hard, it was always difficult when drivers passed on and the fact that it had been under such circumstances only made it a harder burden to bear for Pentecost.  Choi carried his regards with him and Stacker had refused to fill another team in, Tendo had promised him that Gipsy Danger was untouched and waiting for him in the garage if he ever decided he wanted to race again. Over and over however Raleigh would tell him with a tight smile that it wouldn’t be an option, his other driver was dead, he wouldn’t work the Drift with anyone else.

“You have filed three separate times prior to this one, all stating… the PPDC Co. as your place of employment, can you tell me a little more about what this company is and what you would be doing there?” the judge’s words bringing him back to the present and he swallowed again, the suit he was wearing was too tight, it had been his before he had started lifting weights in the exercise yard, back when he had been a scrawny young man barely out of his teens. A lifetime ago.

“Yes your honor I would be working as a mechanic, the PPDC Co. is a garage based in Santa Monica, they specialize in restoration.” Raleigh replied, the handcuffs were now seriously cutting into his skin, the chilly metal felt like a knife. That feeling alone would be enough to make him fight tooth and nail to be released this time around.

The judge raised an eyebrow, sifting through his file once more. “Mr. Becket you were convicted of street racing and you are applying to work in a garage, do you really think this is a good idea?” she asked, looking to him.

“Yes your honor. Cars are what I’m good at and after careful correspondence I have found an establishment willing to hire me with my criminal record, enabling me to find a steady residence within a year of me being released.” He liked that his answers sounded so sure, even though it had taken no correspondence at all and Stacker hadn’t ever really fired him to begin with. Gipsy had been salvaged before the police department had seized it, and Stacker had a mysterious talent for flying so low under the radar that he didn’t even pop up as a blip when it came to investigation. PPDC Co. was a spotless garage with a high customer service rating, Pentecost’s letter of consent acknowledging him as a felon was also in the stack of paper before him that would be handed shortly to the judge, who was looking increasingly vexed that she couldn’t in good faith send him back to his cell block without giving his case some serious review.

\--

“You look like shit.” Tendo greeted him, leaning against his car as he watched Raleigh make his way down the steps, all of his worldly possessions inside the Ziploc bag the corrections officers had given to him before he had stepped outside. “But that grungy ‘I haven’t showered in years’ look is popular with the ladies right now so who knows maybe you’ll find someone even with your ugly mug.” The younger Becket brother stopped a foot short of him, both staring at each other seriously for a few beats before grins split their faces and they embraced joyously, Raleigh clapping him hard on the back. “Fuck it’s good to see you kid.” The technician mumbled into his friend’s shirt.

“It’s good to be back.” Raleigh agreed, separating from him, clutching his little bag close to his side. A five dollar bill, a cell phone that had since been canceled, and a wallet that only had a photo of him and Yancy from sixth grade was what he had booked with, the night it had all happened still a pain induced blur that gave him nightmares five years later.

He had taken the fall for all of them, every charge went on his record and Pentecost hadn’t forgotten it, Tendo dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the car, tossing them to him. “The boss wanted to give you a welcome home present, we fixed it up just for you, she kinda looks like Gipsy so we figured it’d be nice to carry around a little piece with you wherever you go.” Raleigh inspected the keychain, thumb running over a chrome replica of Gipy’s insignia, memories flooding his brain like cold dark water and did his best to smile back at his friend. “Let’s go, we have a few stops to make before I can set you up back at my place if that’s alright. You can drive I know it’s been a while.” His friend interrupted his thoughts, walking around the back to open the door and climb into the passenger seat.  

Tendo understood, and Raleigh was grateful. Yancy was a wound that would never really heal and if he was left to think about it too long it would fester and swell until it consumed him whole, revenge was a dangerous game to play and Raleigh didn’t even know all the rules. He clenched his hand so tight around the keys that the logo left a mark on the inside of his palm, he missed his brother.

Santa Monica had changed, but in the subtle ways that told Raleigh how long he had been gone. A burger place he used to frequent would be demolished to make way for a Starbucks or the shops by the beach were no longer dingy skate stores but high end boutiques, the pacific was the only thing that remained constant.

With the sun setting low against the sky and the windows down just enough to stir their hair Raleigh listened to Tendo’s incessant prattle, telling him what he needed to know as they made their way down the freeway, the area unfamiliar to him as his friend gave him directions on where to go. “I know that we had a lot of people spread out when you were around but that’s changed. New faces, but not as many to fill the missing ones’ places,” Tendo sounded sad about it, like the golden age for them was coming to an end and there was nothing they could do about it. “The Kaiju have really moved in, I don’t think we go a week without seeing a new one pop up, they have mechanics everywhere and no one knows a thing about their drivers. They’re total ghosts, we can’t race anywhere without one appearing and more often than not it gets ugly, we lost three more Jaegers after you left and Yancy died, they don’t stop coming and picking up new people who can work the Drift is nearly impossible.”

Raleigh frowned, his arm hanging out the window as a hot gust of air blew in from the coast. “There’s other crews around still though right?” he asked, switching lanes at Tendo’s vague gesture and turning a corner down a small street composed entirely of bungalows that looked quite beaten up from the salt from the sea. They were painted faded pastel colors like they’d been around since the sixties and he slowed the car down so that it barely rolled past the little shacks.

“No, anyone who wasn’t using 2D systems are gone, the game’s evolved and if you didn’t catch up you basically got fucked and then either got off the streets or let your car get smashed to bits, stop here.” He added at the end of his sentence, Raleigh obeyed and Tendo got out of the car, motioning for him to come along and turning the ignition off and pulling the key out the Becket followed tentatively. “I have to pick some stuff up from these guys but I want you to meet them, very important part of our team now. Fair warning, it’s probably going to be really loud.” Choi said all this while he was fumbling with his own key ring, pulling one free and inserting it into the lock where he turned it and then let the door swing open where he was greeted with the sound of music like a slap in the face.

It wasn’t even really music… it just sounded like some kind of noise. Raleigh screwed his face up and his friend offered an apologetic smile before they both entered the dimly lit bungalow where a high scratchy voice was echoing off the walls combined with another voice that sounded incredibly angry. “IF YOU MESS WITH THE GRID INLAY THEN THE CAR DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE, STOP TOUCHING IT!” the angry voice snarled in accented English. The noise continued to mash against Raleigh’s thoughts and the whole experience was incredibly overwhelming.

“WE CAN MAKE A HYBRID GRID INLAY WITH A MIX OF ANALOG AND DIGITAL I’M TELLING YOU!” shouted the other, the scratchy quality only worsening with increased volume and Tendo led him around a corner where the two men found themselves in a rather cramped living room littered with pieces of twisted metal and thousands of photos and blueprints tacked to the walls and even some to the ceiling. Two men were standing on opposite corners of the room, one leaning against a cane and the other wearing a ripped t-shirt that said ‘PUNK’S NOT DEAD’ in bright pink letters with torn up jeans, tattoos cascading all over his arms and disappearing under his clothes. Tendo cleared his throat and the shouting stopped, both parties looking curiously at the man accompanying the familiar face as Raleigh raised a hand in awkward greeting.

“Boys, this is Raleigh Becket, you’ve heard of him.” Tendo introduced, the one with the cane merely scowled but the other man in the t-shirt smiled brightly. “Raleigh this is Hermann-,” he gestured to the man with the cane. “He’s been responsible for bringing all of our new Jaegers up to speed and making sure they are technologically sound before heading out to the streets. He also does stuff at the college or whatever.” The last part was afterthought and Hermann’s scowl only further creased his face.

“I am a mathematician for UCLA!” he snapped, the heavy accent shining through again and Raleigh guessed German. “You may refer to me as _Dr. Gottlieb._ ”

“Don’t worry he says that to everyone,” the less formidable man in the t-shirt piped up, pushing his glasses up on his nose, reaching out to shake his new acquaintance’s hand. “I’ve been with Pentecost for a while now, I don’t think we ever had a chance to meet. I knew Yancy and I’m sorry for your loss.” He told him, grin dampening a little and even Hermann had the decency to avert his eyes in respect for his brother. “My name’s Newton but please call me Newt, I get to go pick apart Kaiju parts from wrecked cars and adapt their tech for the Jaegers. I’m a glorified scavenger, do all of Hermann’s dirty work.”  He joked.

“Stop calling me that.” Hermann sulked, hobbling back to the wall to inspect one of the thousands of graphs tacked to it. Raleigh took the hand that was offered, eyes dropping to his arms where he saw curious etchings of lines and what looked like circuit boards.

Newt seemed completely unbothered by his companion’s incessant grouchiness, Raleigh wondered if they lived together, releasing his hand and motioning to the tattoos. “Nice ink, it’s uh, interesting.” At the compliment the smaller man’s smile spread.

“Thanks, this is actually what the inside of a Kaiju looks like from technological terms. Every one I get to study I ink somewhere on me, kind of like a permanent testament to my work. Hermann thinks they’re tacky-,”

“In poor taste are the words I used.” The German cut in. Thick silence blanketed the room until Tendo cleared his throat once more and straightened up to show that the formalities were over and business was starting. This got everyone’s attention as Newt directed for them to take a seat if they felt so inclined and he did, sinking into the couch that trapped him like quicksand, feeling his knees shift up to his chin. Hermann smirked at him from where he stood.

Choi remained standing however, looking between the two remaining men with focus, Raleigh hadn’t seen that expression in a long time and it brought on waves of nostalgia. “I came for parts, you told Herc that you had some stuff waiting to be installed, I’d very much like those and I remember hearing something about new tech.”

Newton nodded, waving him on into a back room where they both disappeared, leaving Raleigh alone with Hermann, who was inspecting him like he was an insect. “So how did a mathematician get mixed up with car engines?” the Becket said lightly, trying to break the ice.

Hermann didn’t seem thrilled that he felt inclined to make conversation with him. “I am no grease monkey,” he drawled disdainfully, the sweater vest he was wearing expanding with the puff of his chest. “I write code and manage operating systems, watching over Newton to ensure he doesn’t do anything stupid as I’m sure he feels the urge every day.”

Raleigh was about to open his mouth to pick a different topic but thankfully Tendo reemerged with Newt, a large package under his arm and the two of them discussing something that he couldn’t follow while money exchanged hands and the other man said goodbye, telling him how nice it was to meet him and he would have to come around more often. “I spend a lot of time around the garage I’ll probably see you.” He added, gripping the edges of his tattered t-shirt as he spoke.

“Yeah, you too, thanks.” Raleigh replied as Tendo shuffled him out into the sticky night air, the noise they called music cranking back up in volume so loud that it could be heard booming outside the house and the Becket shook his head when he rounded the car to get into the driver’s seat. “I have so many questions.”

Tendo chuckled, tossing the package into the backseat while Raleigh started the car. “Everyone does, they’re alright though, Newt’s pretty good company to keep. He found us, showed up at the garage one day asking for a job and definitely earns his keep. He worked at UCLA too, experimental technobiology or some other nonsense.”

“Worked?” Raleigh prompted, pulling away from the curb to turn around and head back out towards the main road.

“He got fired,” Tendo replied grimly, looking out his window as they rolled out and began to pick up speed. “Hacked into the university’s mainframe for something, I don’t even know why, he won’t tell me I guess it’s embarrassing because he dodges the question every time. Kid’s a genius though, he and Hermann are some of the smartest guys I’ve ever met.”

Raleigh nodded, getting back onto the freeway and heading north. “What’s Hermann’s deal then?” he asked, looking over to his friend.

“I don’t know, he showed up with Newton after he’d been working with us for a year and just kind of joined the team. He still teaches at UCLA, he’s more of a consultant for us but he and Newt put on that whole argument thing for show, they’re rarely separated from each other when he’s not at the college. He’s a real prick though until you get to know him, it could take a while.” Tendo responded. “Where are you going?” he questioned, looking at their surroundings.

Raleigh’s brow creased. “Back to your place, it’s getting late.”

Choi shook his head, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. “We’re not done yet dude, you’re not on prison time anymore you’re on ours. Work late sleep in, the whole shindig, double back because we’ve gotta drop that stuff off by the garage and Stacker may or may not have planned a surprise party for you.” He said the last bit with a wry grin mixed in, looking over at him while he bit his lip. “Plus there’s so many people you still need to get introduced to.”

Raleigh rolled his eyes but did as he was told, changing directions and nudging the gas a bit more with his foot, feeling the engine rev and flex to accommodate his demands. “How many teams are left?”

The question wasn’t one Tendo seemed prepared for as he choked on his words a bit as they came back up. “Three.”

The Becket’s eyes widened in surprise, taking his gaze off the road to look at his passenger in disbelief. “There’s no way.”

“The Kaiju are getting stronger and we’re struggling to keep up, we can barely hold down the Drift, in fact we’ve lost parts of it. At this point we have to run Pink Slip races just to win cars over so we can start converting them, that’s how bad it’s gotten, we can’t even afford to buy cars we have to use the ones we beat out.” Tendo hadn’t ever hinted that it was ever this bad, when Raleigh had been racing there had been a surplus of drivers, at least thirty, racing through the nights and raking in territory and cash to keep the garage running through the rough times when legitimate business was slow with everyone taking a cut. With thirty dwindled down to three things indeed seemed to be looking down for them.

“Tell me we at least win races.” Raleigh said, his voice heavy with shock.

“Oh most definitely, that’s what Newt does, he lurks and is the first one to the scene when they total. He pulls all the good parts out and brings them to us. He loves doing it, he loves the Kaiju, Hermann calls him a groupie or whatever.” Tendo responded, quick to play up their victories in the face of overwhelming defeat. “Knifehead’s gone.” The last bit was lower, nearly inaudible. “Stacker brought the hood in himself and it sat outside his office for months.”

Raleigh didn’t say anything more and they drove in silence. Memory told him where to turn and what streets to go down until eventually the garage came into view, silhouetted against the dying light. It looked neglected, not the prim and proper establishment he had known. The paint was peeling and in bright letters beneath the faded ‘PPDC Co.’ was a flickering neon sign that boasted the title ‘SHATTERDOME’.

“Welcome home man.” Tendo said as they parked the car.

“Feels good to be back.” Raleigh said, heart sinking. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone on tumblr suggested I make playlists to accompany each driver's choice in music and I really like this idea, something to listen to while you read about their races. It would certainly make it more suspenseful!

The garage was exactly like he remembered on the inside, it smelled of oil and dirty rags with power tools scattered around and cars up on the racks being pulled apart and put back together. In messy stenciling on the walls there were insignias, among them he recognized some of the old Jaegers that had since been destroyed like Romeo Blue and Coyote Tango, after raking his eyes through several unfamiliars Gipsy was spotted, her beautiful wings looking less than immaculate.

The place was very much alive, people were darting all around them, metal pieces flying through the air and people wearing jumpsuits hunched over exposed engines while they tinkered. Through the haze of activity a slight woman was making her way through to them, dodging scurrying bodies with ease that told him just how long she’d been at this game.

Her hair was bobbed with vibrant blue streaks that were too deep in color to be linked with Kaiju, her skin curiously pale for living so close to the coast, and her own jumpsuit was baggy around the waist held loosely together by a belt that also looked too big for her. Combat boots adorned her feet and they were polished and shiny, dogtags with etched Jaeger logos were around her neck, she halted in front of them, her expression passive as Tendo brandished the package he had lugged in and tossed it to her which she caught awkwardly before looking to Raleigh. “You must be Mr. Becket.” She said, voice accented but not by much. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pentecost is in his office waiting for your arrival, I assume you know the way.” That appeared to be all she had to say because she then dipped her head and scurried back to wherever she had come from, Tendo watching her walk away.

“Mako Mori,” he told his friend as the mechanics began to pause working to watch them move to the back of the garage, whispers almost as loud as the drills following them. “Restoration.”

“She fixes what you guys break?”

“Mhmm.”

Stacker’s office still looked very much the same, complete with Stacker, who looked up when his door opened and he let his pen fall through his fingers as he stood. Pentecost had been a military man before opening the garage, where he had served and what he did was never discussed, not even his partner Herc Hansen would talk about it even though rumor was they had enlisted together. His rigid back gave testament to his training as the bulky man rounded his desk to extend a hand, always putting formalities first but Raleigh didn’t mind, taking the offered hand and feeling all the things he knew his boss would never say in the firm squeeze.

He never had held what happened that day against any of them, the crash or him being caught. Raleigh had chosen to stay behind and he had kept his mouth closed all those years, ticking the days down until he was eligible for parole and after several unsuccessful appeals he was now out, standing before him. He had done his part to make sure the garage could continue on and Pentecost had met his end by doing whatever he could to help, the job had been the least he could offer and Raleigh wouldn’t have accepted any more. Their understanding was based on mutual respect and the faint traces of paternal instinct he knew Stacker had for him, he had been a boy when he had gotten arrested, barely able to stand up during his trial he was still so destroyed over Yancy’s death, but he had emerged a man. Pentecost’s stony expression was discouraging but his eyes shone with pride and relief to see the younger Becket again. “It’s good to see you.” He rumbled, their hands releasing and the moment effectively over.

“I heard you have a job opening.” Raleigh replied, a wry smile finding its way onto his face.

“You never quit.” Stacker replied, eyes flickered briefly to Tendo who had been forgotten momentarily. “Did you go visit the good doctors?”

Choi gave him the thumbs up. “Mako’s already getting to work.”

Pentecost nodded, attention shifting back to Raleigh. “Have you seen her yet?”

Raleigh frowned. “Mako?”

“Gipsy,” Stacker sounded put out and they’d only been talking for a few seconds, the familiarity was overwhelming. “She’s out by the others, Tendo and I have business to discuss but why don’t you go and look.” A hand was placed between his shoulder blades, steering him outside the office and Raleigh still didn’t like that at twenty seven he was being dispatched like a five year old. The office door shut behind him and he turned his head to look out among the strangers in the garage, none of them paying him any mind.

Mako was a few feet away on the other side of the warehouse, inside one of the cars, her combat boots sticking out as a pile of computer chips and wires grew beside her. Latching onto at least one semi-familiar face he navigated his way towards her, standing beside the open door while he heard the sound of plastic cracking and something else was tossed over her shoulder to skitter across the concrete ground. “Need some help?” he asked, making her jump, her head turning to stare at him with widened eyes.

“No.” the words weren’t standoffish, but Mako’s expression told him that he shouldn’t ask again. “Do you know how in-dash transition technology works?”

Raleigh looked down at the heap of electronics by his right foot and shook his head. “I never had to, I mean, I’m a driver.”

That apparently wasn’t a good enough excuse because she seemed unimpressed, pointing across the way where a giant beast of a man was hunched over a rather large vehicle, his hair a shocking bleached blonde while he fiddled with his primary engine. “He is a driver.” She told him, her arm shifted to direct to a woman who was much smaller than the man but still had the same hairstyle. “She drives too.”

Raleigh’s cheeks heated a bit despite his best efforts for them not to, the man and woman looked absorbed in their work, like they knew what they were doing. “Yancy always did that stuff.” He muttered, and it was true. Tendo and Yance had been very adamant from the get-go that the mechanics of the car were to be handled by them alone, not so much because they thought Raleigh was incapable, more so because they were selfish and wanted to be the only ones to tinker without interference. Raleigh had done the grunt work like tire checks and small diagnostics, the engines had been entirely Yancy’s game and technology was Tendo’s, it always had been.

Mako’s expression lightened at the mention of his brother and she ripped out what appeared to be the final piece of whatever she was trying to root out before looking up at him, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Mr. Pentecost speaks of you often, I know about your brother, what the Kaiju did was not right.” Her condolences were sincere, the emotion in her voice left no debate about it but Raleigh felt uncomfortable, that so many people he didn’t know knew about his tragedy. That so many felt it was necessary to offer apologies for something that they had no hand in.

“Believe me I know.” He responded, stiffer then he had meant to but the girl wasn’t listening, she had procured a pocket knife from her pocket and was busy stabbing at the package Tendo had brought in, ripping the paper away and opening the lid to reveal a smooth looking touch screen. Raleigh had no idea what it was but it seemed old and a little beat up, Mako was smiling at it though. “What is it?” he asked.

“Digital transitioning device.” She cooed, holding it like it was an infant and not a scrap. “The technician won’t have to manually override the engines; it offers a smoother transition, less than two seconds of delay.” The way her eyes lit up made it seem less like a hunk of patched together junk made by two borderline insane scientists in a shack off the coast. Looking up back up to him after examining the piece of tech thoroughly her lips set back into their normal expression, but her overall attitude towards him appeared to have softened which was a good feeling. “Gipsy is the only non-upgraded car in the garage, Mr. Pentecost refused to pull it apart, said it was your Jaeger.” Mako said.

At the mention of Gipsy his throat constricted, remembering that she was indeed here, parked somewhere. “Where?” he asked, Mako didn’t respond, merely gesturing to the back behind a bright red vehicle that three men that all looked alike were pouring over, a basketball clutched in one of their hands (triplets? Raleigh didn’t understand how that worked). In gold etchings along the side it said ‘Crimson Typhoon’ with a small robot doing a crude hand gesture, Raleigh moved on past it, ignoring the looks the brothers gave him to see his car, still the most beautiful one in the garage in his eyes.

She was blessedly unchanged, no scars remained from her nasty crash and sucking in breath through his teeth he ran trembling fingers over her hood where the insignia glittered up at him like it was waxed and polished every day. Yancy’s steering wheel cover was still on his side, it was like he never left to begin with. The door was unlocked and he cautiously popped it open, settling into the driver’s seat and leaning his head back, memories washing over him. Her interior was updated, there was new controls and a little scented pine tree hanging over the review mirror that made the entire car smell of pine. “I missed you.” He muttered to no one, hands resting over the familiar ridges left behind by his brother in the wheel, from him having a habit of clutching it so hard his knuckles would turn white.

A knocking on the window made him start, looking to see a rather worn out older man leering into his window with a wide grin on his face and Raleigh let the door swing open, standing up to be embraced so firmly the air whooshed out of his lungs. “You leave for a few years, come back I barely recognize you!” the man gushed in his thick Australian drawl and the Becket boy grinning into Hercules Hansen’s shoulder as he was released only to be smacked affectionately on the shoulder. “Finally got some meat on those bones I see, what were they feeding you in there?”

“Not enough, whatever it was.” Raleigh retorted.

This evoked a booming laugh from the man and he nodded his approval. “Chuck and I were comin’ in to talk to Stacker but someone passed along there was a Becket boy in the house and I couldn’t not say hello! When you’d get out?” the reason for Raleigh’s absence was never discussed, and for this he was grateful, it was easier to pretend like he had been away for some other reason and everyone went along with it even though he was certain they all knew the truth.

“Today actually, Tendo picked me up at Lancaster and we drove back down.” He responded, rubbing the back of his neck and Herc nodded. “Chuck’s here?” the last bit of information just registering in his brain.

The last time Raleigh had seen Chuck they had been eighteen and still in high school, awkward acquaintances because their lines of work collided and nothing more. If it hadn’t have been for the garage they wouldn’t have spoken much at all, Raleigh’s more reserved nature clashed spectacularly with Chuck’s more violent tendencies and his wild streak so crazed that not even the combined efforts of Stacker and his father Herc could tame him. He was the kind of guy that got in fights just to see how much he could make the other person bleed, fiercely loyal but with little reservations about how far he’d go to protect what he loved and while Raleigh had spent the latter end of his teenage years vaguely afraid of him he had to admire his tenacity. He had vanished shortly after graduation and Herc had told them that his son had enlisted to serve in the navy, because if there was one thing Chuck loved more than cars it was the sea.

Hercules looked wary, as if wondering if he’d said the wrong thing after taking into account the boys’ history together. “He’s over by Stiker- our Jaeger.” He explained, making Raleigh’s eyebrows crease in confusion.

“What happened to Lucky Seven?” the Becket asked, forever frustrated that he was always one step behind what was happening, he’d have to have a word with Tendo later about the definition of ‘keeping up’ meant.

“Totaled, a few months after you left.” Hansen told him, no longer smiling. “Scott and I aren’t on good terms anymore, he moved upstate.”  Scott was the older man’s brother, they had driven a Jaeger together since before Raleigh had joined the circuit, there was probably quite a story lurking there but from the way Herc cast his eyes down it seemed that was all he was willing to share, and Raleigh let it drop.

“Well well well,” a voice called and both men turned, a third walking towards them wearing a leather jacket with an unknown logo that Raleigh recalled seeing on the wall earlier the words ‘Striker Eureka’ embroidered underneath. “If it isn’t Rawl-ay.” His accent marring the words even more then his fathers and his smirk holding so tightly on his face the Becket wondered how he ever managed to talk at all.

Chuck Hansen had done some growing of his own, his skin tanned from his time in the army and the muscles visible from the way his t-shirt clung to his frame. Mako watched him walk by with a profound eye-roll as if she too was tired of his theatrics and Raleigh tried not to smile at that, looking back to the man he had known since they were kids and raising a hand in greeting. “Long time no see.” He greeted.

Chuck eyed the hand and eventually Raleigh dropped it when it wasn’t returned, watching the other man fold his arms over his chest and tilt his chin up to look him up and down, Hercules was watching the pair of them with interest. “My old man told me you got your ass hauled off to prison, gotta tell you I never thought I’d be the one who got it together and you’d be the one rotting away in a jail cell.” It was nice to see that some people never changed.

Herc grabbed his son by the jacket and dragged him in so their faces were nearly touching but Chuck looked unbothered, like a bored child that had grown used to being reprimanded in public. “Show some respect you twat.” The older of the Hansens growled but his son merely shoved himself away, straightening his jacket and eyeing Raleigh again with more of a coy expression.

“Learn how to drive and maybe you won’t get caught anymore.” He said with a wink before slinking back off quick enough that Hercules couldn’t smack him as it looked like he was entertaining the thought.

“I missed him, started to worry maybe his ship sank in the middle of the pacific and I’d never see him again.” Raleigh told Herc, who looked pained.

“He’s still rough around the edges,” it wasn’t an excuse, more of an explanation but Raleigh didn’t blame him for the way his son turned out, he didn’t think anyone could’ve done a better job than the man standing before him. “The Navy did ‘im good though, taught him a little more responsibility. He came home with a dog, did I tell you? Loves that thing like it’s his own kid, gives me hope that maybe one day he can transfer some of that to human interaction.”

Raleigh opened his mouth to reply but the door to the office opened and almost immediately the noise died, all pairs of eyes turning to where Stacker emerged from the doorway, stepping out into the garage with his usual stoic expression, not even Chuck said anything to disrupt the silence and Tendo stepped out after him. “Good evening.” he told the crowd.

Deafening quiet, Stacker smiled faintly.

“A prodigal son has returned to us tonight, Raleigh Becket,” he continued speaking, all attention diverted momentarily to him and Raleigh shifted his weight to the other foot uncomfortably but Stacker apparently didn’t notice. “His brother is, unfortunately, no longer with us but he is in a better place which sadly I cannot say for all of you. We have the Wei’s running time trials tonight down by the pier, boys-,” he was now speaking directly to the three men near Crimson Typhoon. “Bring us home something good.” They all nodded in unison. “Kadonovskys-,” the bear-man and his smaller female counterpart perked up. “The Columbian’s have a new shipment in, I got a call two hours ago, head down and see what you can scrape up.” These places and people were vaguely familiar, Raleigh tried his best to keep up but orders had been handed out and it seemed there was nothing left to say because the Wei’s and the Kadonvskys began to flip their hoods down and talking picked up again with the racket as engines were started and people began to disperse. Raleigh was exhausted but it seemed their workday was just starting now.

Stacker and Hercules were talking in clipped tones a ways away and Tendo was pulling on his coat, smiling at Raleigh as he motioned for him to follow. “Where’re we going?” he asked. Choi glanced at him before his grin expanded wider.

“You think Stacker was going to let one of our best drivers wilt away pulling spare engines apart?” he asked, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

“I told you guys I’m not racing anymore, my driver is gone.” Raleigh responded, tired of having this conversation.

“You’re hired here by me at my garage, it’s not your decision.” A much deeper voice sounded behind them and both whirled around to Stacker, hands folded behind his back and looking at them both with a mild expression. “You wanted to know how you can help, this is how. We need you to get back in the saddle, Gispy needs modifications but that can be attended to, you’re out of practice.” His voice softened when he looked at the Becket but the steel in his voice told them that this wasn’t up for discussion. “You drive and contribute or you go, that’s the offer. Take it or leave it.”

“I’m on parole!” Raleigh protested, his last ditch effort to sidestep this but the face both Tendo and Pentecost made at the remark only made his shoulders sag. “I don’t have a driver.”

“We’re going to get you one.” Tendo added helpfully. “Where do you think we’re headed?”

“Home?” he tried.

Choi laughed, it didn’t ease Raleigh’s mind in the least. Chuck was barking something at a technician and the sleek silver body with Striker Eureka’s logo rumbled to live, purring like a wildcat with Herc already in the driver’s seat. He waved to the two men standing outside the garage before yelling at his son to get in the car and he grudgingly obeyed. Raleigh watched the vehicle pull out and drive away before turning to look at the garage which was now considerably less full, Mako was still sitting in that unused car installing the touch screen but aside from that people had pretty much scattered. Raleigh shoved his hands into his pockets, looking at his friend who was still smiling at him. “Where are we going, Tendo?” he finally asked, hints of agitation pricking his skin.

“The Breach.”

The Becket didn’t like how pleased with himself Tendo sounded. 


	4. Chapter 4

The crowds told him where they were before he saw the warehouse, the multitudes of cars all lined up with engines revving and pretty women scantily clad hanging over the hoods with beers clutched tight in their hands. Raleigh cruised slowly through the masses, the loud techno music bumping so high that he felt like his teeth were going to fall out of his skull, races being coordinated and money exchanging hands quicker than they could count it out. This was where it had started.

Tendo’s arm hung out his window and he was smiling, even though Raleigh wasn’t happy to be here he had to admit that the atmosphere was infectious, the lights and the fast vehicles made him remember what he missed about racing. Striker Eureka was in front of them, they had followed her here, a black car that was unmarked but looked like something Stacker would drive was behind, the Becket’s fingers rattled against the steering wheel anxiously.

The Breach was the original racing spot for Santa Monica, this was where Raleigh had his first official race, in a ’96 Mustang with so many modifications under the hood it was dubbed Frankenstein by his brother. Striker was attracting quite the crowd to it, the Jaegers were obviously a favorite, people let their fingers trail against her body as she passed and they shot curious glances at the rest of the procession while Tendo grinned and winked at them, asking for numbers. The car in front of them abruptly stopped, pulling into an empty parking space and Raleigh followed suit, his headlights blinding two men standing in front of Striker, one wearing a jacket that was much too big for him and the other dressed in tight black pants and a button down shirt so ragged that made him look like a professor with some kind of drug problem.

“Hey dude!” Newton crowed, delighted to be seeing him twice in one day as he stepped out of the car, his voice barely audible over the bump and thump of the house music, beat twisting and turning so that it was impossible to keep up with it. “Did you see the garage?”

Raleigh smiled tightly, nodding. “Yeah, those Jaegers all your handiwork? That’s pretty amazing I have to say.” Newt ducked his head, suddenly bashful and Hermann rolled his eyes, hobbling over to speak with Hercules who was inspecting his surroundings, motioning to the car the Becket had driven here in and talking about how it wasn’t suitable for what they came here to do. Hercules muttered something in return and he shut his mouth, fingers tapping impatiently against his cane.

Stacker’s car stopped, the least showy of the three, his plain body style raising no eyebrows as he stepped out looking completely bored with the never ending party. Newt looked at Raleigh’s vehicle, confused. “Where’s Gipsy?”

Before Raleigh could answer there was a growl and people were whooping, the sea parting to reveal another car cruising through the bodies, her paint job immaculate and the yellow neons from the interior visible even through the heavily tinted windows. Newt raised his hands, as though uncontrollably excited as he punched Raleigh in the shoulder. “She’s the only one I haven’t gotten to look inside.” He explained, every fiber in his body humming in anticipation.

The Becket shot Tendo- who was doing an amazing job not meeting his eyes, a look. “Who’s driving my car?” he asked, looking at him with displeasure.

Gipsy rumbled into the last spot, the door popping open to hear the steady rhythm of music just as energetic as the sounds wafting outside. Mako and her greasy jump suit stepped out, looking to the men gathered around and she gave the thumbs up, looking to Raleigh with a nod in greeting. “Miss Mori is the most qualified after you if you think about it, she fixed her virtually on her own.” Tendo offered helpfully.

Stacker held his hand out and she dropped the keys to the Jaeger in his palm. “So what’s the point of all this?” Raleigh demanded, races were starting up, he could hear engines roaring to life and people screaming while tires skid across the asphalt out to wherever their starting points were.

Pentecost glanced down at him like he was growing tired of explaining himself. “We’re getting you a driver.” He rumbled. Newt squealed again, scampering over to the Jaeger and rubbing his hands together like he was already thinking of all the things he could rip out and reinstall. Hermann was by another car a ways away, from the lackluster appearance he guessed it was the car the two scientists had driven to the Breach in, the trunk was popped open however to reveal a rather dazzling assortment of spare parts and tools. Chuck and who Raleigh guessed was the race coordinator were bickering off to one side, forking over cash and pitting odds with different cars.

The game had definitely evolved, there were a lot of single drivers but the more he looked he saw two steering wheels inside the rows and rows of beautiful cars, teams propped up by their vehicles waiting for their turns, pink slips at ready or fat stacks of bills. The most wealthy trade in LA was street racing, it was doubtful but he remembered Stacker telling him that once, and from the way the garage had prospered back then he had been inclined to believe it. Mako stood rigid, ignoring the women in bikini’s looking at her, but no matter how serious she tried to appear he could tell that she was awestruck by the events unfolding all around her. Raleigh leaned over in her direction “Have you ever been to the Breach?” he asked, she nodded.

“Of course, I trained here.” The way she said it made it seem like it was most obvious thing in the world.

He arched a brow. “You trained here?”

“Mr. Pentecost and I ran time trials, he was my other driver and taught me how to work the Jaegers.” She replied. “I don’t race, mostly just repairs, I work extensively with Newt.”

Raleigh rolled back on his heels, Chuck was walking back to them, hands in his leather jacket looking smug and the race coordinator was calling for bets on Striker Eureka. “Do you like racing?” the Becket was trying to keep conversation between them flowing besides her incredibly short answers.

The Hansens were on the move, Herc shouting something over the din to Stacker about being back in twenty and Pentecost waved them off, Chuck flashing a wry grin to Mako and Raleigh before disappearing into the passenger side of his Jaeger. Striker pulled out closely behind a lime green import that the Becket guessed they were going up against in the next race. “More than anything in the world.” a quiet response that he had forgotten he’d asked for sounded beside him as Mako’s gaze raked over the cars with envy.

He opened his mouth to continue talking but Stacker was calling for him and with an apologetic glance he left her side. Pentecost towered over a much smaller race coordinator who was handling bets, his serious eyes fell on the Becket with appraising eyes as though calculating what he was made of and whether or not to advise people to bet against him. “You’re running singles,” Stacker told him like he had no choice in the matter. “Get your car ready.” Gipsy’s hood was open and Newt and Hermann were poking around inside, flashlights examining. Raleigh turned back to look at his boss who sighed. “Your other car.”

 PPDC’s hiring methods hadn’t changed much it would seem. The race coordinator put out word that there was an open slot for a singles race, no entry fee required and bets could be placed if people felt so inclined, whomever met you on the track was who you raced and if they demonstrated skill Stacker would trap them on their way back to the Breach and give them an offer. Raleigh was familiar with this, it was how he and Yancy had been picked up, pulling alternating singles on a small stretch of the Drift for easy money. Their cars had been pieces of shit but they had learned that it wasn’t going to get any better, they were up ahead people who had invested thousands into their vehicles and the only way to beat them was to learn the roads, get fancy and think on your feet. Yancy beat more muscle cars in his 2000 modified Impala then anyone on the circuit, any money they won went into bills and food and as their opponents got stronger they had to get smarter. Stacker said it was their ingenuity that had landed them the job and even when given stronger cars to operate they had never lost their ability to think fast, earning them quite the reputation through the garage.

Mako’s chilly exterior had melted away, she didn’t seem quite so wary of him as he mock-saluted her before ducking into his car. Newt looked up from Gipsy’s engine and pushed his glasses up on his nose, leaving grease stains as he waved goodbye, face lit up and Hermann snarled at him in German and he was distracted once more as they began to bicker.

This car was no Gipsy, it was obvious in the way she responded to his touch but any car was home to him, he started the engine up and his new friend waved in what appeared to be a good luck gesture. Tendo knocked on his window and he rolled it down, frowning at the CD that was passed to him. “Racing music?” Choi offered, the CD had nothing written on it and Raleigh took it delicately before letting the stereo eat it, track listings popping up on his dashboard.

“Thanks.” He said and Tendo smiled, ruffling his hair.

“First day out and you’re already back behind the wheel, what did I say bro, can’t stay away.” His friend laughed, stepping back so Raleigh could pull out as he flipped him off before following the signals given by the race coordinator. His opponent looked like he was fifteen, nervous with knobby knees behind what seemed to be a relatively unmodified Chevy. A boy who had stumbled upon the scene and didn’t know what he was doing, Raleigh didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted that this was who had answered the challenge, looking over his shoulder to gauge the expression on Stacker’s face he saw that this isn’t who he had been expecting either.

The kid looked at him as he started his car up and Raleigh took the lead, the race would be short, just a lap to measure the other driver’s abilities and get his feel for the road because as much as he wanted to deny that he was out of practice he was. In addition Raleigh couldn’t remember the last time he drove a race single handedly, starting out had always been Yancy’s job and he had forgotten all about the necessary steps, starting out and getting the lead without having to constantly worry about your engine failing on you. There was a lot more freedom with single races, you were by yourself.

There was someone waiting for them at their starting point, a few people actually. It seemed those who remembered who he was had turned out to look at how he fared on his first day back, performance anxiety crept into his stomach, especially as they saw who he was up against, their faces going from curious to unimpressed. Raleigh reached over to press the play button on the stereo, cranking up the music so he could pretend like he was the only one there.

The overseer raised a bandana, Raleigh’s knuckles tightened on the wheel.

In a rush of adrenaline they were off, tires screeching against the pavement and people cheering as they bolted off onto the back roads of Santa Monica. He hit the clutch right away, shifting up and letting himself scoot up ahead, looking into the window of the kid beside him who didn’t look quite so terrified now, the barebones Chevy holding its own. Raleigh grit his teeth, sixth gear at eighty miles an hour when the first curve came and he braked to bank it just right.

His opponent fell back, coming around the outside and the Becket sped up, taking the bait and with the speedometer on the steady incline the next curve was rough, the engine whined it’s disapproval but he persisted, the Chevy sputtering like it was being forced to run a marathon, the kid inside didn’t look too concerned and he wondered if it was because he was stupid or he had a plan. “Fuck,” he breathed, the buildings rising up around them while the main road stretched up ahead. The Chevy spurted forward and left him behind in a trail of dust.

When he launched onto the main road he narrowly dodged a rather large SUV that was seconds from plowing into him, his car skidding on the street before recovering and taking off in the direction the rapidly vanishing taillights from his opponent were headed. They were on the wrong side of the street, headlights blinded him every three seconds and horns were sounding off, if they didn’t disappear soon there would be problems, the Chevy skirted along the guard rail and took the next exit, avoiding a head on collision that could’ve been ugly. Raleigh followed, the off ramp making him slide but he shifted down and hit the brakes, taking it in stride while he focused on closing the gap.

A singles race was short which was why it was a blessing and curse; you had to get ahead while you still could otherwise it was all over. Raleigh hit the gas as hard as he could and felt his car groan under the strain as they pulled into the home stretch, the final street and he was trying in vain to get there before the kid did. The Chevy was losing speed while he was picking it up and the crowd was on their feet, hollering, Stacker, Tendo, and Mako were watching with critical eyes in the front and Raleigh hit sixth one more time as he breezed by the Chevy much to his relief, his ego couldn’t have handled losing on his first race to someone like that.

Punching the brakes he began the gradual decline in speed until he stopped, car rolling back.

\--

“Heard you got your ass handed to you Becket, _twice_.” Chuck jeered him from his spot against Striker, a bulldog sprawled on the ground beside him when they pulled into the garage. Mako was already back, sitting on the floor beside the Hansen, the dog’s head in her lap while she scratched behind his ears.

Stacker looked up from the open door of his office but didn’t say anything looking at Becket before dropping his eyes to continue sifting through the spoils that the rest of the teams had brought back from their races. Herc and Chuck had raked in the dough, three Jaeger races had left them with the highest earnings of the night, the Wei’s coming in second and the Kadonovsky’s bringing in not cash but what looked to be a suspicious amount of electronics (supposedly from the Columbians). They weren’t just for cars either, Raleigh spotted a few gaming consoles and TVs, Tendo had told him that they took what they needed and fenced the rest.

Raleigh gritted his teeth at Chuck’s comment, Choi shutting the car door behind him as he got out, scowling magnificently at the younger Hansen. “He only lost one.” Tendo corrected.

“But he barely won the other, against some high schooler driving his daddy’s car. You’re that out of practice? Did you at least find a driver willing to carry your sorry ass around?” Chuck shot back, the answer was clear already however.

Stacker and Mako had watched both races, as well as disappearing occasionally from the lot to scout out others and every time they came back they were empty handed. Tendo hadn’t said anything about it but Raleigh knew there was more than just skill that factored into getting someone to share a Jaeger with you. People who paired up to race together had to be compatible in more than one, it took trust and the ability to function fluidly during a race, watching each other’s back and willingness to pilot the Drift which was not for the faint of heart. Mako and he had gotten bored and played cards on the curb while Herc and Chuck went out to race and came back periodically, weak with the rush and Raleigh felt like he was five again, losing the card game to Mako hadn’t really helped his case either and instead of being a grown-up about it he had elected to sulk.

Pentecost was disappointed in him, he didn’t say anything but it was obvious in the way he watched him race, he wasn’t just out of practice he had forgotten technique, a key component of his racing strategy and it was disheartening to watch the man who had taught him so much of what he knew look at him that way. Herc had told him that no one had come back to racing after losing someone like that, he showed internal strength and it was alright to be a little rusty on his first night back, in the grand scheme of things he was doing pretty well. Raleigh had appreciated his kind words but it didn’t ease his embarrassment.

Gipsy hadn’t come back with them, when they had called it a night Newt and Hermann had been tossed the keys much to Raleigh’s horror and Newt had taken the driver’s seat, promising to get her back to him better than ever and when he saw her next he’d be ready to update him on all the changes. Hermann had said goodbye in his tight lipped way as he moved on back to the other car and they had both left, Raleigh gulping as Gipsy Danger rumbled, everyone but him getting to drive his car tonight. Newton had pioneered these vehicles into what they were which probably meant he knew how to operate one, maybe better than some of the drivers but that didn’t ease his mind as she peeled out with Hermann in pursuit. Mako had told him not to worry, that if Newt was taking her from the garage then he would get all the good upgrades, when the doctors took a real interest in a car they put it in their garage and fixed it up to eliminate having to drag all their gear to PPDC. She was confident when she told him that Gipsy would be a powerhouse when she came rolling back into Shatterdome, Raleigh wanted to believe her but he kept seeing Hermann and Newton dismantling his beloved car with their loud noise they called music blaring and their bickering competing for volume, he didn’t share these thoughts with those around him for fear they would only confirm them.

The Wei’s were lounging around the garage, Crimson Typhoon glittering away and they eyed him from where he stood. News of his failures apparently traveled fast, whatever reputation he had from the early days was gone now and he’d have to rebuild and prove himself all over again, exhaustion was threatening to conquer him whole but no one else looked tired, Chuck was sitting next to Mako petting his dog with her and they were chattering away amiably about Striker Eureka. He was the outsider, the new kid with the dead brother who had gotten special treatment from the boss but didn’t seem able to carry his own weight which was not going to work for them, especially with the garage teetering on the brink. Herc was in Stacker’s office, the door was shut and it seemed that the evening was winding down, stragglers dispersing until eventually it was only Chuck, Mako, Tendo, and himself. Rubbing his face and trying in vain to stay awake he tuned out everyone’s chatter until a little hand laid itself on his arm and he looked up, bleary eyed to see Mako, her expression soft and vaguely concerned. “You are tired.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah I guess I’m not used to staying awake this late, what time is it?” Raleigh asked, stifling a yawn.

“Three,” Tendo chipped in helpfully, glancing up from where he stood next to Chuck.

“Past your bedtime Rawl-lay?” the Hansen prodded and Raleigh didn’t have the energy to rise to the bait and instead he nodded because in all honesty it was. Tendo frowned, looking back towards the office where Herc and Stacker were still talking before pushing off of Striker and cross the distance to hold his hand out in front of Raleigh who furrowed his brow, confused.

“They’ll be in there for a while and you’re no use to anyone right now like this. Gimme the keys I’ll drive you back to my place and you can crash.” Tendo said. The Becket nodded, not even bothering to protest he dug into his pocket and let the keys fall into his friend’s palm. “If the boss gets out tell him I’ll be right back.” He added to Mako and Chuck before circling around to the driver’s seat.

“Goodnight Raleigh.” She said gently, he didn’t remember why he had felt so intimidated by her when they had met earlier, she looked much less threatening from the ground of the garage with a dog in her lap.

“You’ll see him tomorrow, don’t worry.” Tendo cut in, opening the door and settling into the driver’s seat.

Raleigh gave her a halfhearted wave and Chuck a middle finger that he smirked at before joining Tendo in the car, tilting his head back and letting the disaster that was this evening be forgotten. He was asleep by the time they hit the freeway. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Again.”

“I’ve done it five times.”

“And you still don’t know how to do it so we’re gonna do it again.”

Raleigh fought the urge to get out of the car and punch Stacker in the face from where he stood on the curb, noon sun beating down on him in his greasy garage gear while he was forced to run cones. The second day back hadn’t been fruitful where driver locating had been concerned either, no one was willing to touch a kid who could barely handle a solo race, and it stung but rather then sulk Stacker had started him on a steady regime to relearn some of the basics he appeared to have forgotten. This put him in a place he vowed he would never return to, the street outside PPDC with cones set up in complicated patterns, it was stuff they made him do when he had been sixteen and it was humiliating.

Mako’s role in the garage had been misjudged, Raleigh had thought initially that she was nothing more than a favored mechanic, someone who could be trusted to work with the Jaegers astride the crazy doctors but the more time he spent around the more it was becoming apparent this was not the case. She oversaw everything, when Stacker wasn’t around she would hand out tasks and people would listen, even Chuck regarded her with an almost unheard of level of respect and she had chosen to involve herself quite deeply in the search for his co-driver as well which was something Raleigh was not at all excited about. Her eyes were keen and her feedback was sharp, for the better part of the morning when he had been running cones she had stood next to Stacker, dishing out advice that was too harsh for the soft tone she delivered it in. Resentment and humiliation seethed while he was told to redo the same patterns over and over again and his self confidence was at virtually nonexistent levels.

Chuck appeared to be having the time of his life however, calling out mock encouragement from where he was hunched over Striker, Max the unofficial garage mascot panting next to him. The more he was told to go over the course one more time the closer he got to the tipping point, Stacker watching every turn of the wheels with critical eyes.

Newton Geiszler had drifted in around ten, apparently here for no other reason than to use the wifi, he sat on a rolling chair in the middle of the shop, rattling away on his keyboard and chatting happily with Mako and Raleigh could hear the echo of his scratchy voice from outside the garage. Being a member of the team his presence wasn’t questioned, even if he just got in the way. Hercules had nudged him out of the path of construction several times with his foot over the course of the day when he was hauling in equipment and Newt had let himself be rolled, never ceasing the incessant chatter or the loud clash of his fingers mashing against the buttons of his laptop. Watching all of these people interact so seamlessly made Raleigh feel more alone than ever, cementing in how much of an outsider he was, even Hermann for all his standoffish and aggressive ways seemed to be well-liked (or maybe it was just because he was so closely tied with Newt that no one said anything about it).

“Are you even watching the road Becket?” Stacker’s barking made him jump, losing focus and running over three cones in the process. “Do it again!”

“No! No I’m not doing it again!” Raleigh snarled, yanking the keys out of the ignition and kicking the door open so he could extract himself, frustrated and sweaty from being confined in a piece of shit car that wasn’t even fit to race in. The unpainted scrap of a Toyota had been given to him this morning for practicing and he was sure it couldn’t even go above ninety miles an hour despite the confirmations that it had a fancy racing engine inside of it. At his outburst the sound of power tools abruptly died and heads poked out through the open garage doorway, startled at the tone he was taking with their boss. “I know I’m rusty and I know I need to practice but making me run goddamn cones all fucking day isn’t going to help!”

He caught Mako’s gaze and she looked disapproving, he would’ve guessed that blatant displays of disrespect wouldn’t go over well with her. “When you can take a curve at sixth gear we can talk about you not running cones anymore!” Stacker’s voice rang clear and deep, authoritarian mode engaged and Raleigh for all his muscle still felt like a child in his shadow.

“You have to give me another shot, I’ve been in a jail cell for five years Stacker-,”

“We’ve all been in jail cells at one time or another, you don’t get special treatment for it! You come to my garage and you said you wanted to work! This is the work and you can’t do it so you need to prove to me that I wasn’t making a mistake letting you come back!” the audience was forgotten, Pentecost was shouting at him, roaring like a lion on MDMA. Raleigh wanted to yell back, he really did, but for all his anger he could see that Pentecost had a point. He had lost touch with the cars, there wasn’t a racer on the circuit who hadn’t been arrested, even Stacker had done time and everyone who made it back found themselves at home on the Drift. Except him.

He’d been so caught up yelling in Stacker’s face that when Mako suddenly appeared to materialize next to them he looked to her, alarmed. “You’re too focused on faking it.” She told him, her voice firm and unwavering as she tried her best to bring herself up to his height. “You think you can just go through motions, you don’t feel for the engine anymore, you don’t want training and you complain about getting another driver.” Each word was like a punch in the gut and Raleigh averted his gaze, looking down at his feet while the sounds of power tools picked up and people stopped watching him taking a beating and got back to work. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and show us progress.”

The three of them stood like that for a few minutes, Raleigh trying to gather enough of his pride to let him walk away but he felt like a wounded animal. Stacker was watching him with a calculating expression and the Becket wondered if he was regretting his decision already. “You think this is easy?” he should’ve let it go, he should’ve walked away. But at the moment he felt injured and if there was one thing his ego wouldn’t allow after being sorely beaten two days in a row it was a five foot four woman telling him to stop feeling sorry for himself. “Do you have any idea what actual racing is like? You want to find me another driver but it seems that you know more about my technique then anyone, race me.” His challenge was delivered in constricted tones and Mako’s eyebrows raised, not looking upset at all, the look on her face could only be described as… eager.

“That’s not going to be a possibility Becket, get back in the car and run the cones.” Stacker’s reply was flat.

Raleigh straightened his shoulders, he was toeing the line and he knew it, best to step back before he got in serious trouble. “Heard you trained her yourself, Pentecost.” He called over his shoulder, walking back to the Toyota. “Don’t think your best and brightest could take me on?”

He could practically hear the grinding of Stacker’s teeth behind him as he dropped down into the driver’s seat. Mako was looking at their boss with a pining expression and Pentecost rubbed his temple like they were both giving him a migraine, Raleigh most of all. “Go.” His words were constricted, Mako’s returning grin was so wide it was going to fall off her face as she turned and ran back into the garage, shouting something he couldn’t hear and there was a collective answer in the form of jumbled chatter. Chuck whipped his head around to look at Raleigh sitting in the practice car and he shook his head, a smirk on his face like he couldn’t wait to watch the Becket get left in the dust.

\--

“Rules are simple!” Tendo called from where he stood between the two cars lined up on the back roads a few miles from the garage. “No foul play, just racing. Don’t touch each other, no spin outs, winner gets the other guy’s pride.”

Everyone had followed them to the track, in front of it all was Stacker, looking quite irritated that he had let this happen but there was nothing to be done now that they were here and Raleigh’s hands tightened around the wheel of whatever car they had dragged out of the garage for him. Mako’s looked a little more personalized, a Hello Kitty charm swung from the review mirror and Raleigh wondered if that was the car she normally drove. While he was watching her she turned and they locked eyes, she gave him a sporting smile but the fire of competition had been lit and they wouldn’t be on civil terms until this race was finished, Raleigh assured himself that even though he was out of touch he had still been racing for a lot longer then she had which meant he had the upper hand.

The Kaidonovsky’s were taking bets, pocketing cash from the Wei’s and Chuck who wanted to get as much out of this skirmish as they could, Herc stood next to Stacker and Newt was accompanied by Hermann who had joined them sometime in the last hour. The two scientists seemed uninvolved, Newton was still typing something furiously on his laptop and Hermann looked like he was only here because there had been nothing else interesting enough to do, he sat next to his colleague so close their shoulders were touching and no one commented on it.

“We ready?” Tendo’s voice dragged him back to the front of his car where his friend had procured a handkerchief, holding it aloft to signal that the race was fast approaching. Raleigh felt the familiar spike of adrenaline rush through his veins while the engines roared to life, ready to run themselves into the ground. “Alright alright Jesus calm down people.” Choi muttered. “On your mark-,”

“Don’t choke Becket!” Chuck catcalled. Raleigh comforted himself by imagining his fist colliding with the other man’s nose.

“Get set! GO!” he hadn’t really even heard the last word Tendo yelled, just the movement of his lips around the word because he had floored the gas pedal and in a blur of headlights and chrome they were off, going down the street and fast disappearing from the assembled group’s view.

Mako’s car took every turn in the road like it had been created for the sole purpose of winning this race, he could no longer see her but her concentration radiated off like waves and Raleigh shifted hard, letting his vehicle shoulder on past to take the turn first, his car tires skidding a bit more then he’d like them to. When cars went this fast it was like everything outside was going in slow motion, it was all in high definition and his senses were so crisp he felt borderline superhuman. This was why he loved to race, not to win, for this feeling and he hadn’t felt it in quite a while, it was such a burden off his shoulders his lips involuntarily curled into a smile while he straightened out and let himself zip on ahead, Mako falling back after taking the curve wrong.

This race would be about five minutes total track time, but Raleigh would take every win he could get, besides maybe this would showcase himself to Stacker and he could stop running cones outside the garage like he was a toddler learning how to ride a bike. While he was mulling these things over Mako came up behind him, slipping past just enough to swerve in his path, forcing him to step on the brakes and she got up ahead, making him swear a bit under his breath.

Her car was lighter, it was obvious in the way she handled it, easier to navigate through the winding residential roads. Her window rolled down and her hand stuck out, _1-2_ , she was keeping score.

It was a game now, not a race, his earlier overzealousness felt childish, someone who was taking this a little too seriously and easing up on his deathgrip on the steering wheel he took a chance where the cars lining the side of the road eased up, passing her by driving up onto the sidewalk where he too rolled down his window and flashed the number 3 at her. The sound of her engine accommodating a shift upwards was his reply and the next curve came much faster than Raleigh had anticipated, forcing him to slow down and shift mid turn while she had the foresight to move ahead.

_2-3_

He went around and cut her off.

_2-4_

She bullied him into a guard rail and then scooted ahead.

_4-4_

Back and forth like a dialogue it went and this was how driver selections were supposed to go, a conversation with many inside jokes spoken in the language of the road. He could hear her laugh in the sound of her tires spinning on the asphalt and his reply was mirrored in the jerk of the wheel that led them down the final street to where the crowd was waiting. They were evenly matched, neither able to get the extra space needed to take the lead, he snuck a look out his window, she was smiling.

This wasn’t a race, it was an introduction.

Both cars blew past the finish line, equals. Raleigh was okay with the tie, he hoped the Kaidonovsky’s took all of Chuck’s money. Opening his door and stepping out he caught Mako’s eyes, letting his own face split into a grin as he rounded her car and clasped her shoulders. “Holy shit did you see that?” he told her, excited as he looked up to see Stacker watching them with a stony expression. “Mako, you and I are definitely compatible.”

Her cheeks flushed, the compliments making her cheeks tinge pink and Raleigh was overtaken with affection for the little woman standing next to him. “Racing with you was more enjoyable then I thought it would be.” She answered.

“Stacker tell me you saw this.” the Becket now directed his words to the boss, the group behind him too caught up in bickering over the fact that no one bet on a tie and therefore everyone should get their money back, but Aleksis was holding the cash over his head so high that no one could reach it unless they shimmied up him like a tree.

“It was a good race, you both did well.” He replied evenly.

“We both did ‘well’? She has to be my new driver, I haven’t moved like that since Yancy and you know it.” All the previous irritation he had been saving up was coming out now.

Pentecost seemed unruffled. “That’s not an option, Miss Mori is not a candidate.”

“If she’s not a candidate then-,”

“This is _not_ up for discussion Becket.” Stacker snapped, so sudden and sharp that even the arguing stopped momentarily, Chuck attempting to pull himself up Aleksis’s shoulders to reach the cash clutched in his fist froze mid-grab. Newt and Hermann had stopped leaning over the laptop and were watching with eyes round like owls, and even Tendo looked fearful, eager to sidestep the inevitable blowout between Raleigh and Pentecost as he weaseled is way between them to diffuse tension.

“Hey guys, this isn’t necessary. Let’s just head back to the garage, dinner’s on me.” He offered and the two men turned the brunt of their glares on him but Choi was tough and he’d gladly take the blow to keep them from throwing punches.

Raleigh looked over his shoulder at Mako who was standing with a rigid back, her eyes cast down to the ground and he was irritated with her too, that she wasn’t going to fight for this when it was obvious that he wouldn’t find a better driver on the circuit willing to work through his shortcomings until he was back up to fully functional. The unfairness of the situation was diluted by his curiosity as to why Pentecost was refusing to acknowledge his mechanic as a possible selection to take Gipsy with him, he had a million questions to ask but his boss was clearly willing to give no answers as he looked to Tendo and nodded, turning and walking back to where the rest of the cars were parked to the side of the makeshift track they had charted out.

Chuck had successfully climbed up the Kaidonovsky’s shoulders and was currently trying to extend his arms as far as they would reach to grab at the money while the Wei’s cheered him on, Stacker passed them and barked something that made the Hansen hesitate, losing his balance and with a yelp he fell flat on his back, gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Aleksis’s laugh was so loud it echoed and he stepped over Chuck, tutting something in Ukrainian that made his wife giggle as they made their way to the vehicles, the entire crowd was packing up and preparing to move along with their boss, Hercules helped his son up and the only ones left behind were Mako and Raleigh, standing in awkward silence.

“Mako,” he began, turning around and walking towards her. “Why are you so afraid to stand up to him?”

The woman’s eyes inspected him, and Raleigh felt like she was picking apart his very soul, leaving him feeling more exposed then he would have liked. “It is not fear, Mr. Becket.” A sad smile on her mouth and the use of his last name told him that his outburst might’ve cost him whatever ground he had gained with her in the past two days. “It is respect.”

Raleigh opened  his mouth to say more but she was already walking towards her car, shutting the door gently and starting it up, pulling around and driving past him without another word, getting in line behind the beat up hunk of junk that was Newt and Hermann’s miracle tool car. He watched her taillights until they turned a corner with the rest and for once he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.


End file.
